Well-known member

Party Leader David Ford said that he was "very pleased to welcome Paula into the Alliance Party".
"It's great that exciting politicians like her realise that Alliance is the only genuine party of a shared future."

Well it'd be interesting to see if Paula Bradshaw will challenge for an MLA position, she won't be up against Lo in South Belfast, realisitically there's only one place the Alliance can win another seat in 2011 and that's East Belfast, so she'd probably be there or in some place West of the Bann or Northwest Belfast where she has no hope. That is unless she takes over from one of the current Alliance MLA's.

Active member

I think the ulster unionists didnt do themselves any favours by not giving her a chance at the next election. I know she worked hard in her community and had a lot of respect from locals. The UUP have a habit of throwing business men and the like in to run even know they have little connection to the people in working class areas.

Well-known member

I know that Bradshaw is regarded as a strong constituency worker, but to be honest during the general election campaign I found her interviews quite unimpressive, as though she was out of her depth and I did not particularly view her as a strong candidate.

Well-known member

Perhaps I am being slightly harsh, but I do recall thinking that she was slightly out of her depth during a round table discussion with other politicians on the Politics Show at Queens University during the Westminster campaign. In saying that however, I do wish her luck: she seems to be a very decent person and people do think very highly of her talents.

Well-known member

However, it has to be taken in context. She was very liberal for a Unionist. The UUP has taken a line of going more to the right so considering she is more in the centre it seems like a natural choice.

It is also good news and publicity for the alliance party. My only hope now is that Ian Parsley will re-join the alliance party.

Well-known member

why a thread about somebody who has proved nothing about being a politician , stood for election , not elected .Seems reasonable person but hardly a major political player -wake me up when she does something worthy of comment.